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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27946241">Obsolete</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShuTodoroki/pseuds/ShuTodoroki'>ShuTodoroki</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cars (Pixar Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:13:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27946241</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShuTodoroki/pseuds/ShuTodoroki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Old sports change. You’re obsolete. Chase Racelott will be the new face of Vitoline.” After Brick is fired to make way for a new Next Gen, Lightning tries to comfort him, but soon realizes the seriousness of their situation.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lightning McQueen/Brick Yardley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Obsolete</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Los Angeles 500 was supposed to be the end of another racing season for Brick Yardley. Not the end of his racing career. </p><p>He arrived with the optimism he usually employed in every Piston Cup race. Sure, the playing field was less in his favor with all of the new Next Gens, but he still managed to place in the top ten at the last race. He was doing well, he thought.</p><p>That is, until the silver sedan that was the head of Vitoline came up to his pit. “Brick, you’re fired.”</p><p>No. That’s not what he just said. He wasn’t going to end up like the other stock cars. He wasn’t going to lose his job. He was in denial. “W-What?” He stammered.</p><p>“You know what I said.”</p><p>“You can’t do this! I’ve raced for you guys almost ten years!” Brick pleaded. His loyalty to Vitoline had to mean something. It had to!</p><p>The sedan started to drive away. “Sorry, Brick. My mind’s made up. I’m giving your number to someone new.”</p><p>“I-I had two wins last year!” Brick pointed out, trying to save his job as he followed the sedan. He wanted to continue racing. He wanted to go against the grain of the Next Gen mania that had taken over the season. He couldn’t be a casualty.</p><p>“Old sports change. You’re obsolete. Chase Racelott will be the new face of Vitoline.” </p><p>Brick knew it was a losing battle. “Let me do this one, please! One last time.” He wanted to end the racing season he started.</p><p>“Chase is already here. Again, I’m sorry, Brick, but you’re done.” </p><p>“B-But how am I going to make a living? I have no job!” He was trying every appeal he could, but he could feel his future as a racer slipping away.</p><p>“Sell mud flaps like everyone else.” The sedan left him behind, presumably to go over to Chase.</p><p>Brick just stood there, taking in what had happened in that short span of time. His racing career was over. It was truly over, and there was nothing that he could do about it. </p><p>“Brick.” He heard a voice come from behind him.</p><p>Brick turned around, seeing his friend, Lightning McQueen. “Hey, Lightning.” He said morosely.</p><p>Lightning sighed, knowing what had happened. He was being left behind by the end of the racing season. One of the final veteran racers left. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>Brick started driving towards his trailer. “You know, I always told myself that I was doing well. I was doing so well that I’d never get fired. I now know that was denial, and that it was only a matter of time.” </p><p>Lightning tried his best to make Brick feel better as he followed. “Brick, you’re one of the most skilled racers I know. It’s insane what’s going on.” </p><p>Brick knew it was insane. Everyone knew it was insane. He just tried to distance himself from that reality as best as he could. It was his way of coping with what was really going on. “When that Jackson Storm came onto the scene, I didn’t know that it’d change the racing world forever.” </p><p>“I didn’t either.” Who would’ve known? To them, at the time, Jackson was just another rookie. Who knew that they would be horribly wrong?</p><p>“Just another rookie, right?” Brick recounted. That was what they said. They laughed it off at the time. </p><p>“We thought that was the case.” </p><p>Brick was silent for a while, contemplating what he’d do next. Probably enter his trailer one last time, and head for home. Then what? What was next for him? Did he even have a future? Sure, cars knew who Brick Yardley was, but he didn’t have the staying power that Cal or Lightning had. He was just the Vitoline racer.</p><p>“Am I really going to sell mud flaps for the rest of my life?” Brick asked Lightning, as he gazed as the Next Gens that nonchalantly passed by them, not even sparing them a glance. They didn’t care. This was their time to shine.</p><p>“What?” Lightning replied out of shock. “Brick, no. I mean, Chick does racing commentary. You could do that.” </p><p>“Maybe.” That didn’t sound very hopeful, but it was one of a few very limited options once you’ve become a retired or “forcibly retired” racer.</p><p>“Darrell Cartrip was a Piston Cup champion, you know. You could be a race announcer as well.” Lightning pointed out. There was no question that Darrell liked his job as a race announcer; he always brought comedy into his commentary, and commentated enthusiastically. It was a very real possibility for Brick as a second career.</p><p>Brick appreciated Lightning trying to make him feel better, but there was so much that had happened in such a short period of time, that Brick still needed time to think over it all before he could decide on what he wanted to do as a second career. </p><p>“I’ll think over it once I get home.” Brick told Lightning.</p><p>“Yeah, of course, Brick. I’ll miss you. We had some good times together.” Lightning said, echoing what Cal said to him when he retired.</p><p>“We did.” Brick had arrived at his open trailer door, and he looked at Lightning with a wistful smile. “Stay strong with Bobby.”</p><p>“Bobby’s gone too.” Lightning revealed.</p><p>Brick didn’t know, and his mouth was agape from shock. “W-What? He got fired too?” He stammered.</p><p>Lightning nodded. “I was going to ask him what was happening to you, but he got replaced by someone named Danny.”</p><p>“Oh.” The way that things were going, there was no hope for the racing veterans anymore. “By next racing season, it might all be Next Gens.” Brick muttered.</p><p>“Don’t say that, Brick. The rest of us will show ‘em what racing veterans can do.” Lightning asserted.</p><p>“You mean you will show ‘em what racing veterans can do.” Brick corrected, feeling quite cynical after hearing the news that Bobby had been fired.</p><p>“What?” Lightning asked, unsure as to what Brick meant by that. </p><p>“You’re lucky that you have a great sponsor. Rusty and Dusty wouldn’t fire you. Others, like me, aren’t so lucky. At some point, Lightning, you’re going to be the last one left.” Brick explained.</p><p>What Brick said was sobering, and probably true. Lightning was silent for a while before sighing. He’d be the last racing veteran left in the Piston Cup, surrounded by Next Gens. “I don’t want it to come to that.” </p><p>“Me neither. Call me cynical, but as Natalie likes to say, that’s the most probable outcome, the way things are going.” Brick stated, as he reversed up the ramp to his trailer.</p><p>“Well, there can be miracles, right?” Lightning pointed out.</p><p>“I guess.” Brick sighed. “Hey, Lightning?”</p><p>“Yeah?” Lightning replied, looking up at Brick. Those green eyes seemed unreadable at first, but Lightning could tell that they hid pain and despondency. Of course they did. He would’ve felt the same way if his racing career was over.</p><p>“Win one for us.” Brick said with a somber smile.</p><p>“I will.” Lightning promised. He held out a tire for a tire bump, which Brick accepted, rolling back down the ramp to give him one last tire bump. </p><p>Brick reversed back into his trailer. “I’ll see you around, Lightning.” </p><p>“See you, Brick.”</p><p>Brick pushed the button to close the ramp, and Lightning could only look on solemnly as Brick’s trailer rolled away, taking away with it another racing veteran and friend.</p>
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